Author's Note: Hi everyone! Here's an update for you and a pretty long chapter at that :) I hope you all enjoy it and are doing well! For those of you looking forward to an update on To Catch A Shikari, I'm hoping to finish the chapter this week sometime. Enjoy~
To robingaeblack: I'm so glad you enjoyed the update! It makes me happy to know people get excited when I post a new chapter XD
To Noo is he alive: Yes, Shanks is alive! We will be circling back to him a little later in the story ;)
To Aquarica: Haha, yes! Mission Impossible music would be perfect for this part of the story XD Law is such a violent guy and we love him for it! Thanks so much for the review and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
To Zelia: Hello again! Yes, I remember reading your review on my other story :) Aw, thanks so much for the sweet compliments! I was grinning the whole time I read your review! Lots of fun things are in store for our Smoker and our favorite boys. I will say that Robin is definitely nicer than Crocodile thinks and that Nami and Nojiko will appear again along with other members of the Straw Hats on occasion ;) We will see Shanks again someday as well. Thanks again for the review and I hope you enjoy the update!
WARNINGS:
- Slavery/human discrimination
- Violence
- Misadventures of ASL
- Mentions of death/murder
- Some fun new characters appear :)
When Smoker awoke, it was to the sound of voices. Someone, or maybe a group of people, were talking loudly nearby and made him groan softly as he tried to open his eyes. The noise only irritated the headache he currently had. When he finally managed to pry his eyelids open, Smoker instinctively closed them again due to the bright light.
'…where am I? What the hell happened?'
"Oh, he's waking up."
"About time."
After a few seconds, he tried again, and this time was able to keep his eyes open. Smoker immediately noticed that he was restrained with heavy chains and that he was…in a cage? His memories of their encounter with the Vraed came back to him and he gritted his teeth in frustration. They'd been captured so quickly. Hopefully Trafalgar had a back-up plan.
A glance to his left revealed his partner in crime, also restrained. The young man looked very pissed off and scowled up at their captors. Trafalgar had chains around his torso and ankles.
"…you okay?" Smoker found himself asking, drawing the pirate's attention. The pirate sent him a look that said, 'what the hell do you think', but nodded regardless. He still wore his black suit, which was good. Hopefully he'd still be able to contact his crew.
"You know…maybe I should've gotten rid of you when I had the chance. Might've saved us the trouble."
Smoker tensed at the familiar voice and focused his gaze beyond the bars of the cage. Though he'd known to expect it, the shock of seeing his former CO was truly jolting. Vice Admiral Vergo sat in a chair looking casual with a cup of tea. His visor displayed a variety of red dots and he wore an Alliance uniform that depicted his rank.
It pissed Smoker off.
His eyes briefly flicked between Vergo and the woman next to him. She had light-green hair and wings for arms that reminded him of Marco, but the smirk on her face was far from the friendly grin the blonde pirate usually wore. Smoker didn't see the Vraed but he was probably nearby.
"Vergo." He growled while tensing his arms to test the strength of his restraints. Unfortunately, they were quite strong and wouldn't be easy to break. "So you really did betray us."
The man took a sip of his tea before replying.
"My loyalty was never to the Alliance, so I'm not sure 'betray' is the right word."
"Did you ever feel anything for us?" Smoker exclaimed, leaning forward, "We respected you! My men still look up to you!" Vergo sighed, placed his cup on the table, and stood to his feet.
"The only thing I felt for you, Captain, was annoyance. Unfortunately, you are very good at your job and that made mine more difficult. As for your men…" Smoker glared up at his former superior when the cyborg came close to their cage. "…they're all fools. I was glad to be rid of them. Though the woman, Tashigi, showed promise. Had she stayed, I probably would've had to kill her."
"You bastard."
"Language, Captain." Vergo answered before stepping to his right and stopping in front of Law. The pirate hadn't said a word. "As for you…you've caused the Young Master quite a lot of trouble. I hope you're prepared to face the consequences."
"Go to hell." Trafalgar answered in a low voice. Smoker barely resisted jumping in surprise when Vergo kicked the bars hard enough to dent them slightly. The noise echoed throughout the room for a few seconds. To his credit, Law didn't flinch at all. He was a tough one.
"We'll see how you act after some discipline. I'm sure you remember the last time you were punished well."
Smoker saw Law's jaw clench, though the movement was barely perceptible. Clearly these two had a history.
"I'll kill you…all of you." Trafalgar said, eyes smoldering in rage. The green-haired woman just laughed while Vergo's visor began to change color from red to a dark purple.
"On the contrary, Law. It's us who will be killing all of your companions. We already know about your little ship." Smoker's eyes were drawn to a screen on the wall when it suddenly came on and revealed a live picture of Trafalgar's cruiser. It appeared to have landed on the surface. "Yes…we will kill all of them, including Smoker here, of course. Then we'll collar you and drag you back to where you belong. Don't forget what you are. Nothing but a slave…the Young Master's pet."
"Shut up." Smoker found himself putting in, scowl deepening at the derogatory language Vergo used to describe Law. "You underestimate us and you'll pay the price."
The cyborg just scoffed and turned to face the screen.
"I never thought I'd see the day that Captain Chase Smoker joined forces with a pirate. You truly are a fool." Vergo reached up to touch a communicator attached to his ear. "You may begin the attack when you're ready."
Smoker cursed when men in grey and yellow suits emerged onto the screen and opened fire on Trafalgar's vessel. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were on board! He had to help them! Tensing his muscles, he fought against the chains with all his strength, but only a single link cracked before he had to stop and catch his breath.
"It's no use, Captain~" The woman put in, noticing his struggle, "Even if you do break those chains, you won't get out of that cage. It's made of a very special material."
"Like hell it is!" He shot back, eyeing the dent in the metal, "Just try and stop me!"
"So vigilant for a group of pirates." Vergo said with an unnerving tilt of his head. He was silent for a moment before the corners of his mouth curled up into a knowing smirk. "Oh…I see. Those humans of yours are on board, aren't they?"
Smoker went stock still and looked up, sending his former CO his best glare to hide his fear. Vergo's smirk just widened.
"So they are here." The cyborg lifted his hand to the communicator again." Be advised, we have new information that some unaltered human children are on board that craft. Bring them to me, alive."
"NO! You won't touch a hair on their heads!" Smoker yelled, struggling to sit up. Vergo and his companion just chuckled at his clumsy efforts.
"Don't worry, we'll make good use of them. I'm sure the Young Master wouldn't mind me having some pets of my own. I'll have to alter them, of course."
"Bastard, I'll kill you!"
This time, Vergo didn't even bother to respond to him, instead turning to face the screen and watch the battle unfold. Smoker felt his breaths come quickly and his stomach fall as thoughts of his sweet boys tortured at this monster's hands came to the forefront of his mind. He'd die before he let that happen!
"My crew will protect them," Trafalgar whispered, gaze hard and also full of guilt, "but I'm sorry…my actions have put them in danger. That was never my intention."
"What's done is done." Smoker snarled back, still straining against his restraints, "Let's focus on getting out of here."
He needed to get to his boys before Vergo did.
Ace held Luffy tightly as they huddled behind the pirates' makeshift barricade, Sabo shoulder to shoulder with him. Minutes after the ship landed, a group of aliens had opened fire, prompting Trafalgar's crew to immediately take action and try to protect their ship. At first, Ace and his brothers had stayed on the ship, but one of the attackers fired a large weapon of some kind that started a fire, forcing them to evacuate until it was contained.
"Why isn't the fire out yet!?" The one with the funny hat yelled while firing back at their enemies. Ikkaku, who knelt next to them, responded.
"We're working on it, but I think we need to retreat! There's too many of them!"
"And leave the Captain behind!? Hell no-"
They all crouched down when yet another large explosive was launched their way, causing little scraps of metal to rain down on them. Luffy whimpered in fear and burrowed further into Ace's chest. From his point of view, the ship appeared pretty damaged. If they tried to take off again, wouldn't they just be shot down?
"The ship is compromised!" Ikkaku exclaimed while shielding the brothers with her body, "We need to retreat to somewhere more defensible!" She locked eyes with her companion.
"We're not leaving the Captain. We just need some time to regroup."
The one with the hat seemed to consider her words for a moment before nodding.
"Damn it, you're right…as always. Gather what you can and let's go! Bepo, cover the rear!" Ace yelped when his helmet was suddenly activated, obscuring his vision with weird alien letters and squiggles. He was at least able to notice that both of his brothers now had their helmets on as well. Ikkaku urged them to stand up and Ace secured Luffy, the little boy tense in his arms. "Retreat!"
As they ran from the battlefield, their enemies followed and shot at them with lasers and other seemingly impossible weapons. They had nothing like them on Earth…just in the movies. Ace glanced to his left to make sure Sabo was still there before focusing his attention forward again. It was difficult to see through the display screen and he found himself going slower than he'd like. Ace grunted when something hot hit the armor protecting his thigh but, thankfully, there was no pain.
Ikkaku had said that the suits would protect them…he assumed that meant against lasers too.
"Look out!" Someone yelled as the sound of a projectile flying through the air got closer and closer. Suddenly, Ace and his brothers were pushed roughly to the side just as a shell hit the snow and exploded, sending them flying. They hit the ground hard, but the snow and black armor softened the fall. Still, Ace's ears were ringing and he had to blink some blurriness from his vision.
Not far from him was Luffy who'd been thrown from him in the blast. The little boy groaned and pushed himself up onto all fours. Sabo was already on his feet and rushed to Luffy's side to assist him.
"Ace, we need to go!" His brother yelled, pointing behind him. Ace turned and his eyes widened at the sight of strange aliens in yellow suits stalking towards them, weapons in hand.
"Oi, those three are awfully small, aren't they? You think they're the humans?"
"Yeah, probably. The boss said they're just kids. Try not to damage them too much."
Thanks to the translator, Ace understood every word their attackers said. He immediately jumped up and grabbed Luffy's hand before leading him away from the aliens. They followed of course, chasing after them with ominous sticks in hand that looked electrified. Ace wondered if their guns had the same 'stun' thing that Smoker had used on them.
If so, they needed to be careful. One hit and they'd go down.
After one too many stumbles, Ace cursed and pressed the button that retracted his helmet. He just couldn't see with it on! The second his skin was exposed, he thanked Ikkaku who'd insisted on the warm hat he currently wore. The air was extremely cold. He managed to pull the black scarf up over his nose and mouth, providing some additional warmth.
Soon Sabo followed suit and removed his own helmet, but they both made sure Luffy's stayed up.
Ace looked around for Ikkaku and the others but noticed they'd been thrown pretty far away. If they attempted to go to them, they'd run into other enemies. Gritting his teeth, Ace turned his attention to the metal structure on their left. Maybe it would be better to find somewhere to hide until Smoker came for them.
"This way!" He called, prompting Sabo to quickly change direction. Luffy stumbled along after them, pulled by Ace's strong grip.
"Hey you three, stop!" One of their pursuers yelled, sounding annoyed, "Come here and be good and we won't have to hurt you!"
"Idiot, they can't understand you! Just get them!"
'It might be a good idea to hide the fact that we can understand them.' Ace thought as he skidded to a halt in front of a small vent that seemed to lead inside the facility. Without wasting any time, he kicked the metal with all his might, causing it to (surprisingly) go flying into the dark tunnel. Taken aback by his sudden show of strength, he hesitated for a moment before motioning for Sabo to enter the vent.
"It was probably the suit." His blonde brother whispered as he passed him, making Ace huff. Yeah probably, but he still couldn't deny that his kick had been pretty awesome. Once Luffy was safely inside, he crawled in as well. Not long after they entered the vent, their attackers caught up and bent down to stare at them through their creepy goggles.
Thankfully, they were way too big to pursue them.
"Ah, damn it. Call it in, we'll have to let the others catch them once they're inside. Maybe do a flush of the vent system."
"Ace…I'm scared." Luffy muttered shakily, voice somewhat warbled from his helmet.
"Shhh, don't let them hear you." He whispered, urging his little brother onward, "You see anything Sabo?"
"No, but there has to be an exit somewhere."
"Good, let's keep going then. I'm worried about that 'flush' thing they mentioned."
"I wanna find Mr. Smokey." Luffy added with a sniffle, "I-Is he here somewhere?"
"…probably." Ace answered as they turned a corner, "Don't worry, Lu, we'll protect you."
After a few minutes of aimlessly crawling through the dank vent, they went ahead and retracted Luffy's helmet as well. The little boy kept running into walls and Ace didn't want to risk the bad guys finding them because of any loud noises. Unfortunately, the vent system was seemingly endless with a multitude of twists and turns. Unsure where to go, Sabo simply led them forward, choosing which way to go at random.
"Bleh…" Luffy muttered, sounding like he was spitting something out of his mouth. Probably dust. "Sabo, are we there yet? I'm getting tired."
"I'm…not sure." Sabo replied with a huff, followed quickly by a cough. The vents were getting really dusty now. "It all looks the same."
"Just keep going." Ace said, doing his best not to sneeze, "It has to end eventually."
Thankfully, not much time passed before they finally came across a grate built into the side of the vent's tunnels. The three brothers crowded around it, eager to be in the light again. Ace peered out of the slit near his eye level and tensed at the sight of more aliens in yellow suits. The room the vent led to was full of different types of machines and control panels.
An alien in a grey suit was giving orders to the yellow ones so he was probably in charge.
"Shut everything down." The alien ordered from the platform he stood on, "No one gets in or out until these invaders are handled. Once things settle down, we will escort the asset to the flight hangar for transport."
'Asset?' Ace thought, 'What's that?'
"What about the other humans?" One yellow-suited alien asked, "Should we continue alterations, transport, and disposal as scheduled?"
"No, not yet. Everything is on hold until we get word that we're clear to proceed."
Ace bit the inside of his cheek. Were they saying that the 'asset' was a human? And there were others!? They hadn't probed too much into Law and Smoker's mission on the planet, but now he was starting to think they should've.
"A-Ace…I think this is a place where they change people." Sabo whispered, pale as a ghost, "If they catch us-"
"They won't." Ace replied, gaze hardening. "Let's get out of here before they notice us."
Just as they turned to leave, the grey armored alien brought a hand up to his helmet, as if he was receiving a message.
"New orders. It seems that those three humans the Boss mentioned managed to escape into the ventilation system." Ace cursed under his breath. "Begin closure of all vents except those in Sector B. Let's flush them out."
"Should we send handlers to that location to capture them?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Go, go, go!" Ace hissed, forcing his brothers into a swift crawl, "We've got to get out of here!" If the bad aliens closed the majority of the vents, they could corral them into one place and capture them easily! Not to mention the ominous sounding 'flush'. If it was anything like the movies, maybe they'd try to gas them, forcing a swift exit.
Regardless, they couldn't afford to stay and needed to find a way out fast.
In their rush to leave, Luffy snagged his leg on a raised piece of metal and tripped, falling prone rather violently. The sound of his small form hitting the bottom of the vent echoed throughout both the tunnels and the grate they were still nearby. Ace's ears picked up nothing at first, but then-
"What the hell was that?"
"Only one thing it could be, those missing humans!"
"Sabo, Luffy, run!" Ace exclaimed, not trying to be quiet anymore now that the bad aliens below were scrambling up towards them by climbing on desks, electrified weapons in hand. Their legs made loud ringing sounds as they crawled away from the room as quickly as they could. Though they could still hear voices coming from the room they'd behind.
"I'm initiating the flush!"
"No, you idiot, not yet-"
A loud beeping could be heard from the room and suddenly the vent tunnel began to shake. The brothers were forced to stop and Luffy was thrown to the bottom of the vent, unable to stay upright.
"W-What's going on!?" Sabo yelled, trying to make his voice heard over the noise. Ace grit his teeth and looked behind him. Along with the shaking came an odd smell and a 'whooshing' noise. His eyes widened in realization when the breeze began to pick up and he quickly activated his helmet along with Luffy's. Just when Sabo's helmet finished covering his head, the wind evolved from a simple gale to a monsoon.
Ace brought his hands up to his helmet in an instinctive gesture to protect his face as his body was picked up and propelled down the tunnel. He tried to grab hold of his brothers but the wind was too strong and kept tearing them away from him. Ace could just barely hear Luffy's screaming voice and Sabo trying to call to him as they were whisked away from the open grate and towards the unknown.
He gasped when a split in the vent appeared in front of them, approaching much too quickly due to how fast their bodies were careening along the tunnel. There were three possible directions, each most likely leading somewhere different. Ace twisted his body towards his brothers but only managed to hit his head on the side of the vent. Just as he reoriented himself enough to try and reach for Luffy's hand, his little brother was sucked into the far-right tunnel and out of sight.
"No!" He yelled, and caught the edges of the center tunnel to keep himself from falling in. It felt as if his arms were going to be ripped off, but he held on and tried to force his body towards the tunnel Luffy fell into. His baby brother hated being alone and wouldn't be able to protect himself! He had to go with him! It was then that Sabo flew by.
Ace tried to catch him, but missed by a mile and could only watch as his blonde brother fell into the opposite tunnel, yelling his name in fear.
"Damn it!" He yelled, grip slipping. Seconds later, he was forced to let go and fell into the center vent, strength failing him.
Ace's body careened violently down the tunnel, crashing into the walls. He tumbled and rolled until he was so disoriented he had no idea which way was up or down. After what felt like an eternity, a light appeared in the distance. Bracing himself, Ace went straight through the grate and fell a few feet to the ground, rolling as he did so. When he finally came to a stop, he was lying on his back staring up at an unfamiliar metal ceiling.
Taking a moment to catch his breath, Ace attempted to orient himself.
He tried to look to his left and right, but the helmet's many displays blocked his vision. Annoyed, he reached up and retracted his helmet, but immediately crinkled his nose in disgust. Wherever he was…it smelled horrible. Holding a hand to his nose, Ace sat up and examined his surroundings. It looked like he'd been spit out into some sort of storage closet. There were cleaning supplies like mops and the like, but also other futuristic machinery that he couldn't identify.
What disturbed him was the fact that many of the mops were tinged red, like they'd been used to clean up blood.
Swallowing hard, Ace stood to his feet and slowly made his way to the door. He had to find Sabo and Luffy before they got caught! Prior to opening the door, he pressed his ear to it in an attempt to identify any enemy movement. Unfortunately, he couldn't hear anything through the cold metal. With a huff, Ace reached for the handle and turned it, pleased when the door opened without a creak. He quietly peeked into the room beyond.
What he saw made his stomach churn.
The entire room was full to the brim with cages.
"Ow…" Sabo said in a low voice, rubbing his helmet's visor. The terrible wind that seemingly came out of nowhere had finally tossed him out of the ventilation system and into an unknown space. He huffed and got rid of the helmet so he could adjust his hat, pulling it down over his ears. "Ace? Luffy?"
Though he knew the chances of the tunnels leading to the same place were slim…he still called quietly for his brothers. The idea of separation terrified him. Despite all they'd been through, there had only been one instance where they'd been separated, and even then, Ace and Sabo had remained together. They'd been reunited quickly thanks to Smoker, but now even their ever-present protector wasn't there with him.
'I have to find them!' Sabo thought while trying to get his breathing under control. Even if he was scared, he had to keep going. Though he felt alone, he had allies nearby. Trafalgar and his crew, Smoker…they were going to be okay. Somehow.
After taking a deep breath, Sabo stood up and examined the room he found himself in. He appeared to have landed behind a bunch of crates (which was probably a blessing). A subtle sniff revealed a sweet smell that made him feel nauseous. The lighting was dim and he could just barely hear voices in the distance. Swallowing down the bile in his mouth, Sabo crept forward, keeping to the shadows.
Thankfully, his suit seemed to dampen sound. He would have to remember to thank Ikkaku the next time he saw her. Without the armor…well, he didn't even want to think about it.
"Shirororo, that little brat didn't stand a chance against me! I can't wait to get my hands on him…Joker will be so pleased~"
Sabo sidled up to the edge of a crate and glanced around it, eyes widening in surprise at how large the room was. It was much bigger than he'd expected. His gaze was immediately drawn to huge tanks full of green goop that took up about half the room and the strange creature cackling to himself in front of them. The alien looked like it was made of…air? Gas? It was difficult to tell. Occasionally, his form would solidify into something more humanoid, but then quickly dissipate.
The alien wore a pair of dark purple gloves with glowing wires running through them and was tinkering with a control panel located at the base of one of the tanks. The gas that made up the being's arms appeared more white than pink like the rest of his body.
Sabo shrunk back when the huge doors behind the being opened and a few grey-armored aliens entered the room.
"The Boss needs you."
"In a minute!" The being shot back, sounding annoyed. Sabo watched in wonder as the alien tugged off his gloves and carried them over to a rack on the wall. He quickly noticed that the way his gaseous body interacted with the gloves was very different than how it normally billowed about, uncontained. The white colored gas morphed back to pink as soon as the gloves were no longer touching his body.
'Do those…help him touch stuff?' Sabo mused, eyeing the gloves curiously. He supposed that someone made of nothing tangible would probably need special equipment to interact with everyday objects. 'Fascinating.'
"Is Law behaving?" The creature asked, making Sabo tense in anticipation. Had the pirate been captured? "I can always prepare a sedative. Shirororo!"
"Both he and the soldier are secure at the moment." The armored alien replied, "As soon as the other pirates are taken care of, we're leaving with the asset. I believe the Boss wants to kill the 'Wild Dog' himself."
"Wonderful! Smoker should've known better than to mess with Joker."
Sabo's blood went cold. Smoker had been captured too? He brought a shaking hand to his face and began to chew on his nail nervously. They…were going to kill him?
'No! I won't let that happen!' He thought, clenching his jaw in determination and dropping his hand back to his side. Child or not, there had to be something he could do to help. Sabo stayed hidden behind the crates until the aliens left, closing the massive door behind them. He watched carefully when they opened and closed the metal monstrosity. There seemed to be some kind of lock on the outside, but to open it from the inside, there was just a single button.
How convenient.
Crouching low, Sabo made his way past the giant tanks and up to the hooks that held the strange gloves. The gas alien was definitely a bad guy, so it would probably be a good idea to have something that could actually touch him. Or punch him. Yeah, that would be good. Standing on his toes, Sabo stretched up towards them but couldn't quite reach the gloves. Humming in thought, he looked around the room for something he could stand on.
Unfortunately, the crates were way too heavy for him to move and he couldn't find any sort of stepladder. Then his eyes fell on a group of metal rods stored in an open container, standing upright for easy access…he assumed.
'Those could work!' Sabo thought as he trotted up to them. They were long enough that he could use them to push the gloves off their hooks. He reached forward and wrapped his hands around the metal rod, pulling it out with ease. It was a lot lighter than he'd expected. 'Okay, let's get those gloves.'
Holding the rod above his head, Sabo gently pushed it into the glove and upward until the first one fell to the floor. Tongue sticking out of his mouth as he concentrated, he dislodged the second one without issue.
"Let's see here." Sabo whispered to himself while gently resting the metal rod on the floor. The gloves certainly looked high tech and were way too big for his own hands. Still, curiosity got the better of him and he slid one on. As expected, it didn't fit at all but did send a strange current of energy down through his arm. He felt sort of tingly.
As he was removing the glove, he noticed it seemed a lot more…adhesive, than it had before. Making a quiet sound of awe, Sabo tugged the glove off and stuck it to the outside of hand, amazed when it stayed there and didn't move. He tried it on different parts of his suit and found that it would stick firmly to any surface of the black armor.
Pretty convenient, though he had no idea why it did that. Maybe it was a special feature?
Eventually, he decided to just stick the gloves on his back where they'd be out of the way but he could still carry them with him. Gaze falling to the metal rod, Sabo picked that up as well. It made him feel better to have something he could defend himself with. Giving the metal a closer look, Sabo frowned when a subtle raised portion of the rod caught his attention. He ran a finger over it and then pressed lightly, almost dropping the thing in surprise when it came to life.
It began to whir and blue lights appeared in long lines that culminated at the top. Sabo's eyes widened when a ball of electricity formed at the end of the rod.
So…not just a normal piece of metal after all. An alien weapon! It actually looked a lot like the electrified sticks their pursuers had.
"This is so cool!" He muttered to himself as he swung the rod around and brandished it like a sword. The weapon would definitely be useful. There was no telling who he'd run into as he made his way around the enemy facility. Though he still hoped he would be able to sneak around undetected until he could rendezvous with his brothers.
With gloves attached to his back and weapon in hand, Sabo turned towards the big door.
'Please be safe…Ace, Luffy.'
Luffy screeched as he was carried along by the incredibly powerful wind, curled up into a ball in an attempt to protect himself. Thankfully, the suit seemed to be doing a good job of keeping him from getting hurt even though he felt a bit like a rubber ball bouncing around in the vent. He gasped when his body was suddenly pulled to the left by a new current and he tumbled in the air, unable to stop himself.
Then, seconds later, he hit something hard. His small body broke through it and then he was falling. Luffy screamed in fear, unable to see much through his helmet, until he finally hit something that broke his fall. At first, he thought it was the floor, but then the 'something' groaned and started moving.
"What the hell was that?"
Inhaling sharply, Luffy scrambled off the living thing and tried to get his bearings. The weird alien words getting in his way, he clumsily pressed the button that got rid of his helmet. Breathing hard, he reached back to make sure his hat was still there and immediately relaxed. The straw hat still hung around his neck and seemed undamaged. His earmuffs were still in place as well.
However, before he could relax, Luffy looked up at the person who'd stopped his fall and immediately tensed in fear.
It was a yellow-suited alien that, after managing to sit up and fix their helmet, looked straight at him.
"What the…a human!? How did you-"
Luffy, recognizing he was danger, slowly began to back away from the alien, bottom lip trembling. The creature stood to its feet and towered over him, making his knees shake in fear. Though it wasn't the first time he'd confronted mean aliens, this time he was by himself.
What was he supposed to do!?
When the alien reached for him, Luffy took off in the opposite direction, making his pursuer curse.
"Hey, come back here! Stupid human."
Luffy desperately searched the room he'd landed in for an exit, but the yellow guy was in his way! The metal door was closed regardless, and he didn't have Sabo's ability to use space stuff. There were bars of some kind along the other wall…maybe he could squeeze in between them? Terrified out of his mind, Luffy ducked, just barely avoiding the aliens' grabby hands.
"Hold still, brat! I don't know where you came from, but I'm going to make you regret trying to escape."
He yelped when the yellow-suited alien reached for him again, but he somehow managed to throw himself beneath his pursuer's grasp in a desperate attempt to avoid capture. Scrambling to his feet, Luffy tried to grab one of the nearby bars, but stopped short when something glinted in the darkness. His eyes widened when the same something moved. What was that-
"Gotcha!"
Luffy screamed when the alien took advantage of his surprise to grab him by the the neck and lift him up in the air. He scratched at the man's hand, but the alien just adjusted his grip to hold him with both hands, the other moving to keep his arms against his sides.
"Stop struggling!"
His breath hitched when the alien squeezed his neck harder, making it difficult to breathe. This only seemed to amuse his captor.
"Ha, thought you could get away, huh? Well I-"
Luffy went still when, out of the corner of his eye, that strange glint in the shadows returned and a muscular arm shot out between the bars. His captor gasped in surprise and dropped him almost immediately to try and fight off the attack. Luffy coughed and inhaled deeply before looking back up at the yellow alien, eyes wide.
The arm held the alien around the neck, choking them.
Luffy's gaze followed the yellow-suited alien even as the arm lifted them completely off their feet, holding them aloft easily. His former attacker clawed at the arm and fought aggressively, but eventually their movements got sluggish…coming to an end seconds later. The arm dropped their victim into a limp pile on the floor, making Luffy yelp and scoot backwards.
"…you okay, kid?"
He sniffled and managed to stand up, wiping unshed tears from his eyes. That had been really scary.
"I think so…t-thank you, Mister Arm."
The mysterious person chuckled shortly at the distinction while withdrawing their extremity back behind the bars. Luffy could now see that, even in the dimly lit room, the wall of bars was actually a cage. He glanced to his right and saw the vent he'd been spit out of. Other than the big cage and the door…there wasn't much else in the room except a weird hatch built into the wall. It had a bright red handle on it.
Now a bit curious, Luffy plopped his hat down on his head and carefully crept towards the cage. In the darkness, it was hard to tell if there were a lot of people or just Mister Arm.
"U-Um…" He whispered, grabbing a bar when he was close enough, "Are you a nice person, Mister Arm?"
"Depends who's asking, I guess." The shadowy figure replied. Luffy could see now that he was sitting just beyond the bars. He was much larger than him…so an adult? "You don't have to worry though. I'm not about to hurt a kid. Especially if they're human. How did you get in here, anyway?"
Luffy didn't reply right away and leaned further forward so he could get a better look at the mystery person who'd saved him. Luckily, at that moment, the lights flickered and turned on, chasing some of the darkness away.
"Woah…"
The person who'd saved him almost appeared human, but also had features that were clearly alien. Most notably was the massive, black wing that emerged from the man's left shoulder blade and the sparkly crystals that glinted under the flickering lights. The minerals dotted the wing like freckles, and some looked quite sharp. The gems also encircled his eyes, though the man's left one was sealed shut and had a newly healed wound over it.
"Ne, why do you only have one wing?" Luffy asked with a tilt of his head. The person glanced over his right shoulder at the vacant space.
"Don't know…they're treating me like a failure, so I guess I was supposed to have two." The boy gasped when the man tugged his flimsy shirt aside and revealed a massive collection of black scales that covered almost his entire right side, culminating in sharp claws that protruded from his fingers. They almost seemed to have an emerald sheen to them. "It probably has something to do with these damn things. They're everywhere."
On closer inspection, Luffy realized that this mystery person looked a lot like Torao, the dragon pirate. He had scales and even a tail that the boy could now see swaying leisurely behind him. The main difference was the wings and horn. This person only had a single horn protruding from the left side of his head, and as far as he knew, Torao didn't have any wings.
"Do they hurt?"
"No…not really." The person replied with an annoyed huff, "Though nothing hurts as much as that machine they threw me into."
"Why did they put you in here?"
"You ask a lot of questions, kid."
Luffy shrugged and smiled brightly at the person who'd saved him. Though they'd only just met, he felt that he could trust him.
"Shishishi, sorry! My name's Luffy, what's yours?"
"…Zoro."
"That's such a cool name!" He exclaimed, eyes bright, "Ne, ne, is your hair green!?" Zoro cracked a smile at his enthusiasm.
"Yeah, always been that way. Cool isn't it?"
Luffy nodded aggressively, but before he could reply, voices from outside the room got louder. He went quiet and turned around nervously. Was it more yellow-suited guys coming to try and capture him? A tap on his shoulder drew his attention back to Zoro.
"I don't really understand how you ended up here, but I can tell you're in trouble. Let me out, and I'll help keep you safe."
"Really?" Luffy questioned, jumping when someone outside the room yelled orders to someone. Zoro nodded.
"Yeah. If I stay here, they'll just kill me and throw my body in the trash like the others." Luffy's eyes widened at that and he followed the man's gaze over to the weird hatch he'd noticed before, a shiver going down his spine. On closer inspection, there were ominous red stains on the outside of it. "The keys should be on this guy somewhere. Think you can find them?"
Luffy made a quiet sound of acknowledgement and knelt down next to the unconscious guard, searching for a set of keys. Though he didn't find anything that looked like a key, he did find a little metal thing in the alien's pocket. He pulled it out and eyed it curiously. It looked like one of those things people used to unlock their cars from far away.
"That's it! Give it here."
He gave the thing to Zoro who quickly stood up and hobbled his way over to where he assumed the door was. Zoro was forced to move slowly because of heavy manacles around his ankles. The chains were also attached to a collar around his neck that had a tag of some kind dangling from it.
'It looks kind of like those necklaces Mr. Smokey has us wear.' Luffy thought while his new friend messed with the door. 'Though Zoro's looks pretty uncomfortable.' After what felt like ages, the young man managed to unlock the door and stepped out into the light. Luffy grinned up at him and giggled happily when the man leaned down to place a gentle hand on his head.
"Thanks, kid."
"Luffy!"
"Right, Luffy." Zoro added while fingering the manacles that still hung from his body. "I wonder if this thing works on these too." He waved the key in front of them and smirked when something clicked and a green light appeared on the front of his collar. Zoro tugged the restraint off and tossed the chains away, taking a moment to stretch once they were fully removed.
While Zoro readied himself, Luffy peeked around him into the cage. He noticed there wasn't anyone else to rescue in there, but there were piles of clothes and strange lumps near the back of the cell that weren't moving. Before he could get a closer look, Zoro plucked him off the floor and rested him on his shoulder.
"…there's nothing in there that a kid like you needs to see. Now where to?"
"I need to find Ace and Sabo, my brothers!" Luffy said while readjusting himself so he was straddling his friend's neck. He grabbed hold of the single horn to keep his body from swaying. "Oh, and my Daddy too. Mr. Smokey."
"Your whole family's here?"
"Yeah, but Mr. Smokey is an alien." Luffy explained, prompting Zoro to make a sound of confusion, "He's good though! He has been taking good care of us."
His new friend just shrugged.
"If you say so, Luffy. Hold on!"
With that, Zoro knelt down in preparation before rushing towards the door. Luffy closed his eyes and held on tight even as the man hit the metal door with his shoulder and took it right off its hinges. The metal crunched under Zoro's strength and went flying into the far wall. Zoro skid to a halt in the hall to look left and right. On his shoulders, Luffy also examined the space and yelped when he met the gaze of a yellow-suited alien.
"H-How the hell-"
"Sound the alarm! Subject #63 has escaped! We need back-up!"
"The alarm is already going off, just call it in!"
Zoro didn't hesitate to attack the aliens. Bending his body, he kicked the closest one into the wall, cracking both the metal and the alien's suit. The second one fumbled for his weapon but Zoro was too fast. He was on him in seconds and punched the alien across the jaw, making him crumble to the ground.
"Wow, you're so strong!" Luffy exclaimed, still holding onto Zoro's horn. It was a different shape from Torao's and curved up instead of backward, making it a good handhold.
"Guess I am…" Zoro replied, opening and closing his hand, "Haven't had a chance to try it out yet."
"Be advised, a dangerous altered human has escaped. I repeat, Subject #63 has escaped confinement. All available personnel are to converge on its location."
"Uh oh, sounds like they're gonna come after us." Luffy said, making Zoro tilt his head slightly and turn back towards him.
"You can understand that gibberish?"
"Yeah! Mr. Smokey gave me a special thing that helps me understand what they say." Luffy answered, tapping the translator behind his ear. "It's really cool!" Zoro smirked and faced forward again.
"We might actually make it out of here alive, kid. Keep your ears open and let me know if you hear anything important. Let's see if we can find your family." Luffy cheered as Zoro began to run down the hallway, ignoring the loud alarm and blinking red lights. The man's wing tucked itself closer to Zoro's body so it wouldn't hit the edges of the hall.
"Ace, Sabo! Where are you!?"
Ace gulped nervously as he stepped into the room, nose scrunched in distaste from the horrible smell. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any guards around, but he could hear an alarm in the distance. The door he emerged from was in a corner, so the occupants of the cages didn't notice him right away, but as he padded forward, some of them turned towards him.
'They're human…' Ace thought as he approached the hall-like space between the rows of cages. '…and there are so many of them.' Many had already been altered, though some retained their original form. He couldn't help but recall Trafalgar's words regarding the aliens' treatment of their race.
"There is a process called 'altering' that allows our DNA to be combined with that of another creature. It's why the Celestials revoked our sentient status and invaded Earth…they wanted exotic new pets."
Ace bit the inside of his cheek as he slowly made his way between the cages. Most of the captives wouldn't even make eye contact with him while others looked positively feral…like they would attack him if he came too close. The smell of blood was strong in the air, along with other things that he didn't even want to think about.
Was this why Smoker and the pirates were here?
"Well…this is a surprise." A gravely voice said, making him jump in surprise, "How the hell did a kid like you get in here?"
Ace turned to his right and found himself gazing into a dark cage. He frowned, noting there were multiple people inside. Which one had spoken? Ace tensed again when the voice spoke a second time.
"Up here, brat."
Ace back peddled a bit and raised his chin so he could see up into the second row of cages. A person sat semi-reclined against the side bars and stared down at him with obvious curiosity. They had scarlet hair and a muscular body, though it was clearly ravaged by malnutrition and injuries. Even so, the fire in his eyes burned. Ace could tell he hadn't given up like many of his fellow prisoners.
"So, you going to answer my question or what?" The stranger said while fingering the collar around his throat. Ace swallowed hard unintentionally when the man's red eyes met his. His nervousness only increased when he noticed the sharp teeth and other inhuman features.
Bright red scales that matched his hair were scattered across his body and his nails had morphed into sharp claws. Even in the dim light, Ace could see that he only had four fingers on each hand and that a reptilian tail rested on the floor of the cage next to him. Sharp spines ascended the middle of his back and though camouflaged by his hair, seemed to go all the way up to his brow. His skin appeared sandy, as if covered in dust.
"I…I think we're here to help you." Ace answered, making the man blink in surprise.
"Help us? What do you mean?" At his answer, some of the other prisoners murmured questions and attended more to the conversation.
"My, er, guardian," He just couldn't say Dad…he wasn't ready, "and some pirates landed here and are fighting the guys who captured you. My brothers are here somewhere too, but we got separated."
Ace clenched his hand in frustration at the thought of Sabo and Luffy. Hopefully they were still okay…
"Pirates, really?" The man said with an amused smirk, "Ain't that interesting…best news we've heard since being thrown into this hellhole." Ace's gaze was drawn to the left when a large creature made a low, bellowing sound and shuffled inside its cell. It seemed like his news was stirring even the quietest of creatures.
"A-Are you going to free us?" A new, nervous voice asked, drawing his attention to a child in a cage to his left. He was young…even smaller than Luffy. Behind the child was an older man with dark hair and an unkept beard. Ace tried to keep his expression neutral even as he looked the boy over, noting he'd already been changed despite his age.
Similarly to red-haired one, he had scales and claws…though his were pink of all things.
"Please…please help us."
"Yes, g-get us out of here!"
Ace looked around in awe as the whole room erupted into noise, calls for freedom. Some even began to beat their fists on the bars.
"So those two who walked through before…they were with you?" The red-haired one asked while standing up, "One of them had a suit like yours."
"Did one have white hair?" Ace asked, focusing his attention back on the one who spoke first, "Tall? Looked like a soldier." The man nodded.
"Yeah. They didn't stick around though."
'So Smoker and Law came through here.' Ace thought, taking a moment to adjust his hat. If he could somehow catch up to them, maybe they could help him track his brothers down. Just as he began to muse on what to do, unfriendly voices started yelling outside one of the big doors. Many of the captives whimpered and went quiet while others remained standing in defiance. For Ace's part, he simply froze, mind racing as he tried to think of what to do. If the enemy rushed in and found him-
"Hey, you better listen to me, brat!" The red-haired man yelled, grabbing the bars, "If you don't want to get caught, get to that control panel over there. One of those buttons should release us!"
Many of the humans yelled their support as he turned and ran for the panel. He could hear the voices clearer now along with the sound of beeping that indicated the enemy was opening up the door. Crawling up onto the stool in front of the panel, Ace bit his lip in frustration. He couldn't read a single thing and didn't have Sabo's intuition for alien stuff. Which one was he supposed to press?
Ace gasped when the main doors slid open and a group of both grey and yellow suited aliens marched inside. They spotted him immediately.
"Get it away from the panel, now! Capture the human!"
He cursed and began hitting button after button, praying one of them was the one he needed. Unfortunately, most of them just beeped and made weird symbols appear on the holographic screen.
"You can do it! Don't give up!"
"Try the red one!"
Ace grit his teeth and kept trying, the room loud with the cacophony of voices both from the captives and their enemies. Just before the first alien could reach him, Ace gave up trying individual buttons and, using his entire upper body, slammed his weight into as many as he could.
A loud alarm sounded and he yelped, yanked into the air by unfriendly hands. He struggled and bit anything that came close.
"I-I got it! Damn thing won't hold still-"
Just as suddenly, his would-be captor was thrown away from him and someone else caught him by the back of his suit. Ace gaped as the alien slumped against the far wall, unconscious. He turned and gazed into the scarlet eyes of the red-haired man, who smirked maliciously.
"Nice work, brat. We'll take it from here."
At that, a horde of humans, altered and not, rushed forward and attacked the group of aliens. Many bit, slashed and even stomped on their attackers, using the abilities they'd been given to their advantage. Those who had no such abilities picked up any weapons the armored aliens dropped and figured out how to use them very quickly.
A grey suited one tried to attack them, prompting Ace to cover his face instinctively, but someone else rushed in and slashed right through their armor with blades that appeared to have grown out of the sides of their arms. Ace examined the newcomer with awe, noting they had long, knotted blonde hair and patches of blue skin scattered across their body.
Despite the collars and chains that limited their movement, the escapees were deadly in their precision and didn't hesitate to attack.
"Oi, Killer! See if you can find the key to these." The one holding Ace called, prompting the one with blades to nod and make his way to the control panel.
"Could you put me down now?" Ace asked, prompting the red-haired man to drop him. He smirked and inhaled deeply when the one called 'Killer' returned and held a strange thing up to his chains. Ace sidestepped out of the way when they fell to the floor.
"Nice work. Let's get everyone else freed." While Killer made to remove his own restraints, the red-haired one knelt down and put a clawed hand on Ace's hat, ruffling it. "Thanks for the assist, brat. Much appreciated."
"Ace, not brat." He shot back with a displeased frown, prompting the man to laugh.
"Sorry, sorry! Ace, huh? A good name. I'm Kidd, it's a pleasure." He then stood up and cracked his knuckles ominously, gaze fixed on the still open metal door. "What do you say we raise some hell in this place? It's time for some serious payback."
Meanwhile…
Vergo ground his teeth together as yet another alarm was sounded. Though his men had successfully forced the Heart Pirates to retreat, allowing them to capture the now damaged ship, they'd also failed to subdue them. The ragtag group had dug themselves into one of the old laboratory buildings and was still putting up a good fight.
Much to his annoyance.
"Subject #63 is approaching Sector B, I repeat-"
Vergo's frown deepened when the speaker suddenly cut off. That particular human would be challenging to take down. Though a failure in Caesar's book, he still held the same Strux DNA as Law. Thankfully, they'd already disposed of the other failures or they'd have a real problem on their hands.
…how had it escaped?
"Any sign of Crocodile's ship yet?" He muttered to Monet, doing his best not to reveal too much information to the prisoners behind him. Smoker was still trying to break his chains but he knew Law would be listening intently. The slave was intelligent and would probably use anything he could to his advantage.
The green-haired woman shook her head.
"Not yet. What would you like to do?"
Before Vergo could respond, the door to his left slid open and one of his subordinates rushed in, appearing short of breath. He turned to face the armored man and motioned for him to approach, leaning in so the prisoners couldn't hear the report.
"What is it?"
"S-Sir…the humans, t-they've escaped!"
Vergo felt his face twitch in anger.
"…which ones?"
He could tell his subordinate was sweating despite the helmet covering his face.
"A-All of them, Sir. One of the children you told us about got in the holding area somehow and…l-let them out. We're trying to capture them but-" Vergo didn't let him finish and stood straight up, arms clenched tightly behind his back as he tried to maintain his composure. Though he wanted nothing more than to kill his incompetent subordinate, he restrained himself if only to not reveal to the prisoners how frustrated he was.
"Get things under control, before I get truly angry." He replied through gritted teeth, prompting his subordinate to shakily salute, "As soon as the lab and everything in it are locked down, we leave with the asset. No more delays!"
Thankfully, as if someone had been listening to him from above, his communicator beeped just as his subordinate left. Vergo lifted a hand to it so he could respond.
"What is it now?"
"Sir, Crocodile's ship is entering the atmosphere now! Should we retrieve Princess Vivi and her retainer?"
'Finally, some good news.' Vergo thought with a shuddering sigh. The Warlord certainly took his time.
"Yes, take them to the hangar."
He turned when the door opened again and Caesar entered with guards flanking him, that annoying smirk on his gaseous face.
"Start preparations for our departure as well. We don't want to keep the Young Master waiting."
As soon as Princess Vivi was delivered, the humans contained, and Law's crew dealt with…he'd finally have the honor of delivering the Young Master's prize back to him. Mouth curling up into a smirk, Vergo glanced over his shoulder at the still smoldering Law. It would be quite exciting to kill the 'Wild Dog' as well. He could just imagine the hatred on his face as he breathed his last.
…yes, he couldn't wait.
Vivi grunted when one of her guards pushed her forward roughly, causing her to stumble. She managed to keep herself from falling, but that was easier said than done with her hands cuffed behind her back.
"Keep moving!" The guard snarled, prompting her to take shaky steps forward.
"Are you all right, my Lady?"
Vivi sent a hopefully reassuring look to Igaram, her loyal retainer, even as they were both pulled along towards their doom. The man had seen better days and was covered in injuries. Clearly, their captors had not been as kind to him as they had to her. His normally immaculate hair was a mess and he walked with a limp, dragging an obviously broken leg. It broke her heart to see him so wounded after he'd only just began improving at the hospital on G8.
Though she had many retainers, Igaram had been the one she'd gone to for help on her mission to bring Crocodile down and save her people. Chaka and Pell were still needed on her home world, to keep the peace.
'Is this it for us?' Vivi thought, lip trembling as they were brought into a large hangar. She'd regained some hope of rescue when she heard the many alarms sound, but so far, no one had come for them.
"On your knees!" A guard yelled while pushing on her down onto the cold metal floor. Igaram was forced next to her, making him wince in pain. "Your ride will be here soon."
Vivi glared at the now cackling guards around them. They were enjoying their misery way too much.
Everyone looked up when the massive hangar doors slid open, revealing a white, snowy atmosphere. Vivi squinted and tried to get a glimpse of blue sky but her view was blocked by a dark shadow that descended into the hangar. Her stomach dropped when she recognized Crocodile's symbol on the side.
He'd come for them.
"Tch, about time." A guard muttered under his breath while adjusting his weapon, "Let's get this done so we can help lock things down. I hear the humans are causing a lot of havoc."
The others around them whispered in agreement while the ship docked smoothly, steam releasing from its landing joints as it settled into place. Vivi frowned at their mention of humans but found her attention locked onto the ship before her. Honestly frightened, she couldn't stop her hands from shaking as the main door opened, creating a smooth ramp from the ship to the ground. With her as his hostage, Crocodile had as good as won!
Alabasta would fall…
She jolted when footsteps echoed through the chamber, indicating someone (or multiple people), were disembarking.
"Welcome to G5! We have your prisoners here for you-" The guard who spoke went silent when a pulse of energy was fired directly at his chest. Vivi gaped when the man fell limp and spun back around towards the ship. The person who'd taken the shot wore a brown cloak and held a gun in their hands.
The guards, shocked by the sudden incapacitation of their comrade, were slow to respond and taken out one by one. Vivi sat, shocked, on the ground as more cloaked individuals exited the ship. Igaram attempted to place himself in front of her despite his injuries and called out a warning to the unknown group.
"You will come no closer!"
For her part, Vivi was confused. Where was Crocodile? Who were these people?
The one who'd taken the first shot holstered their weapon and approached with arms raised.
"It's okay, we're here to help! It's me, Princess." The person reached up and pushed their hood back, revealing dark hair, blue skin, and glasses. Vivi's eyes widened in recognition.
"T-Tashigi!? H-How…what-"
The young Lalphea winked at her and jogged around them to release their bindings.
"It's a bit of a long story. I'm just glad we made it in time!"
Vivi observed the other cloaked individuals as they removed their hoods in turn, recognizing many of them as Smoker's subordinates. They moved with practiced ease securing the room and were all armed to the teeth. A tall hybrid Thraul made his way into the room and held himself like an officer, someone to be respected. She could only assume this was Smoker's boss.
"Princess, I hope you are unharmed?" He asked as she stood to her feet, rubbing her wrists. Tashigi had made short work of her restraints. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. I am Vice Admiral Jonathan."
"I-It's an honor, Sir. Thank you for the assistance." She answered with a polite curtsey out of habit, "If you don't mind me asking…what are you doing on Crocodile's ship? Where is he?"
The Vice Admiral smirked and turned back towards the ship.
"Let's just say we're…borrowing it. We came across him by chance during our search for Captain Smoker. Thankfully, we had some help apprehending the ship."
Vivi tilted her head in confusion but followed the man's gaze to the gangplank when yet another person exited. She was immediately struck by their height. They had to duck pretty severely to avoid hitting their head on the metal ceiling of the ship. The next thing that caught her attention was how casually they were dressed. A simple coat and pants, no insignia of the Alliance in sight. The person, a male she noted, also wore a dark blue hat that squished his black, curly hair down.
"Mah…good thing we landed on this side of the planet." He muttered to himself as he stepped off the ship, "The other side would've melted me, I think."
Vivi's eyes widened as she got a better look at the stranger. His body appeared frozen solid and the very air around him chilled as he spoke. Spikes of ice jutted out of his back and shoulders. His skin seemed to have a similar constitution to hers and glistened when the light hit it just right. She'd heard of a people like him who lived on planets seen as uninhabitable to other races but was unsure what they were called. Vice Admiral Jonathan took her by surprise by suddenly straightening up and saluting the gangly person.
"Admiral Aokiji, we are grateful for your timely assistance in this matter."
Vivi mouth dropped open while the man just scratched at his head and shrugged.
"Just lucky I guess, seeing as I was coming to visit Chase anyway. Never thought he'd get himself kidnapped by pirates." The Admiral huffed and pulled out a little bag that was dripping some kind of liquid. "Guess I'll have to make some more…the ice pops I brought for his humans got zapped in the fight."
'Is he…pouting?' Vivi thought as the extremely tall man tossed the bag behind him nonchalantly.
"Well, let's get this show on the road. I haven't spoken to Chase since the invasion and I really don't want the next time to be at his funeral. Anybody got a map or something of this place?" Tashigi spoke up.
"We don't, Sir, but we do know G5 well…at least superficially. We were never allowed inside in the lab. I have no idea why the Heart Pirates and Crocodile would come here of all places. Perhaps we should contact Vice Admiral Vergo for clarification on the situation?"
The Admiral hummed and stretched his arms up above his head, cracking his back casually.
"Mah, let's hold off on that for now until we have a better idea of what's going on here. Why don't some of you stay here and take care of the Princess while the rest of us go exploring." The Alliance soldiers saluted the Admiral again and immediately began to split up into two groups. Vivi gratefully accepted a blanket from one of them while another brought a first aid kit and knelt before Igaram.
"I…I don't know how to thank you all." She managed, drawing the Admiral's attention. He just shuffled in place, looking awkward.
"Don't mention it, I guess. Right time…right place, and all that." He turned towards the group that had gathered behind him. "Okay, I don't know any of your names, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. Jonathan, you staying behind?"
The Vice Admiral nodded.
"Yes, I will hold down the fort here and look after Princess Vivi."
Aokiji seemed pleased with his response and turned towards the door that led deeper into the facility.
"All right then…let's go. Hopefully Chase is still in one piece."
We shall find out what happened between Tashigi, Jonathan, Aokiji, and Crocodile next time, so stay tuned! ;) Thanks for reading~